Until now. The latest iteration of artificial intelligence has captured the attention of politicians around the world. It seems that the latter can’t do enough to promote and support it, in the hope of deriving huge economic benefits, both directly, in the form of local AI companies worth trillions, and indirectly, through increased efficiency and improved services. That current favoured status has given AI leaders permission to start saying the unsayable: that copyright is an obstacle to progress, and should be reined in, or at least muzzled, in order to allow AI to reach its full potential.
Not actually the case. GPL’s “viral” nature depends on copyright prohibiting the use of the code you publish without agreeing to the GPL’s conditions. Without copyright you could take GPLed code and use it in a closed-source program without publishing your own version or licencing it under the GPL. Most copyleft licenses are like that, including stuff like the Creative Commons.